5 Local COVID-19 Infections Confirmed in Jeonnam...Total Cases Reach 539

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced that five additional COVID-19 local infection cases were confirmed from the night of the 25th to the morning of the 26th.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases in Jeonnam has increased to a total of 539, of which 482 are local infections and 57 are imported cases.

Jeonnam case number 535 is an employee working at a welfare center located in Gwangyang.

The individual tested positive during the second round of mass testing conducted by the province targeting employees working in infection-vulnerable facilities within the province.

In this regard, the province dispatched epidemiological investigators urgently on the night of the 25th to identify contacts and is conducting an in-depth epidemiological investigation.

Jeonnam case number 536 was found to have had contact on the 23rd with their child, Gwangju case number 992.

For Jeonnam cases 537 and 538, it was confirmed that from the 17th to the 23rd, their child, Seoul Seocho-gu case number 477, visited the homes of these two confirmed cases located in Yeosu.

Jeonnam case number 539 was finally confirmed positive during the 10th diagnostic test conducted on a nursing hospital in Hwasun under cohort isolation.

The province’s rapid response team along with the Yeosu, Gwangyang, and Yeongam rapid response teams are conducting in-depth epidemiological investigations to identify contacts and infection routes through analysis of CCTV footage and other means. The locations visited by the confirmed cases have been temporarily closed, and disinfection measures have been completed.

Since the 14th, Jeonnam Province has been conducting diagnostic tests on approximately 47,000 workers employed at 885 infection-vulnerable facilities within the province in the second round of testing.

As of now, out of 25,777 tests conducted, 2 cases tested positive and the rest were negative.

To strengthen COVID-19 response, the province plans to expand mass testing from every 4 weeks to every 2 weeks going forward.

In particular, the province urged residents to immediately visit screening clinics for “free anonymous testing” if they feel sick or have suspicious symptoms to block the spread of local infections.

Kang Young-gu, Director of the Jeonnam Province Health and Welfare Bureau, said, “Due to the nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, the increase in family and acquaintance gatherings during Christmas and New Year holidays poses a serious risk of spreading community infections. We ask everyone to cancel small gatherings during the year-end and New Year period, refrain from visiting other regions, minimize contact between people, and always wear masks.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.